Liquid dispensing apparatus



Jan. 10, 1961 H. M. OHARE LIQUID DISPENSING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Jan. 7, 1957 m dif v E m. H o

N EM v Y n R A AT TOR NEYS Jan. 10, 1961 H. M. OHARE 2,967,310

LIQUID [DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 7, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J 20 2|I 24 ll 22 H lNVENTOFi HARRY rvLO'HARE MY W ATTORNEYS LIQUID DISPENSINGArrAnArus Harry M. OHare, San Jose, Caliil, assignor to Tidy ChemicalCompany, Sunnyvale, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Jan. 7,1957, Ser. No. 632910 9 Claims. (Cl. 4-227} The present inventionrelates to improvements in a liquid-dispensing apparatus for flushtanks. It has particular reference to improvements over the dispensingapparatus shown in my copending application, Serial No. 542,293, whichwas filed in the United States Patent Oflice on October 24, 1955, nowUS. Patent No. 2,913,- 734.

As pointed out in the above-identified patent, such a dispensingapparatus or dispenser is adapted for supplying a predetermined amountof disinfecting, deodorizing and sequestering agents to the water in thetank each time the toilet is flushed. This will maintain the tank andits bowl sanitary and free from the usual discoloring incrustations.

In the patent, the dispenser includes two parts, namely: an insert and afloat cap. The insert shown therein has a neck portion which istelescoped into the neck of a bottle containing the chemical liquid;and, moreover, is provided with an umbrella skirt arranged exteriorly ofthe bottle. Prior to the time that the dispenser is used, the float capis screwed onto the bottle neck so as to enclose the projecting skirt ofthe insert. Before installing the dispenser in a flush tank it wasnecessary to first anscrew the float cap, and then invert the cap,subsequently inserting a guide stem on the cap into the interior of theinsert.

As the cardinal object of the present invention, it is proposed toprovide a more compact chemical dispenser, in which the insert and itsskirt are substantially confined within the neck of the bottle. Thiswill materially reduce the length of the dispenser which projects fromthe bottle. Moreover, a closure cap is threaded onto the bottle neck andencloses the float cap, providing a leak-proof unit.

When installing my improved chemical dispenser in a flush tank, it ismerely necessary to remove the closure cap from the bottle, and thenmount the latter in an inverted position in the tank. The dispenser isready for immediate use, and it does not require the removal andsubsequent reattachment of the float, as was necessary in the patent.

As a further object of the invention, it is proposed to provideadditional structural features so as to guard against any leakage of thechemical liquid from the bottle during the time that it is beingmechandised.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification continues.The novel features of the invention will be set forth in the annexedclaims.

Drawings -For a better understanding of the invention, reference shouldbe had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification,in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of my chemical dispenser for flushtanks, parts being shown in section, and the bottle being closed andready for merchandising or shipment;

Figures 2 and 3 are vertical sectional views of the insert and floatmember, respectively;

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the plane IV-.IV ofFigure 3;

Figure 5 illustrates the chemical dispenser after being inverted andinstalled in a flush tank, the float member being held in raisedposition by the water contained in the tank; and

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5, but disclosing the float member.in its lowered position, due to receding of the water level in thetank, and a reservoir of the float member being filled with apredetermined quantity of the chemical liquids, which will be dispensedwhen the water level rises again.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, it should beunderstood that various changes, or modifications, may be made withinthe scope of the appended claims without departing from the spiritthereof.

Detailed description In carrying out my invention, there is provided aninsert indicated generally at A. This insert is provided with astationary hollow plunger B and a skirt C. The latter has an outerdiameter of a size that will fit snugly within the outlet neck It) of abottle D.

It will be noted from Figures l, 5 and'6, that the insert issubstantially confined within the bottleneck, and its skirt C isdisposed in liquid-tightrelation with the interior surface of the bottleneck. The plunger B is QQB- nected to the skirt C by a base 11.Moreover, the insert is provided with an outwardly-extending flange 12,which may be seated on the rim of the bottle neck when the insert istelescoped into the neck of the bottle. The skirt C tapers r m h se 11 ohe flan e 12 w thus fac tate the lesccp ns of the insert in o h o t eneck, a d i fu he Pr id d t an nnu ib to aid in k n a l quidht ea b t en the i r nd h bottle.

It will be noted that the hollow plunger has its outer surfacefi d finia rus t m of a s e hi e la ge t r he b 11- e ut nd at h s plunger has anenin 116. w ich i sur o nde y an n u a flange 17 that extends upwardlyinto the interior of the plunger (s Figure 2)- h open n is ch mb re soas to d fine a valve seat 18 for the purpose hereinafter described. Theinsert A is preferably made of resilient plastic, such as polyethelene.Moreover, the skirt C is spaced from the conical s rf ce 5 f t hollow pun er, a is adapted to be frictionally held in the bottle neck it}, whenthe insertA is telescoped into the neck of the bottle D, as shown inFigures 1, 5 and .6.

he e a disp se further includes a o t ber E, which has a uide stem Fthat is designed to be projected through the opening 16 of the hollowplunger B. This stem defines a valve 19 at its base which is disposedfor hearing against the seat 18 in liquid-tight relation therewith, whenthe float member E is moved toward the hollow plunger B. I

In its structural details, the float member E is provided with aliquid-receiving receptacle ;G thereon, which is adapted to surround thehollow plunger B in spaced relation therewith. The outer wall 20 of thisreceptacle is cylindrical, while its inner wall 21 is conical-shaped,conforming to thetaper of the outer surface 15 of plunger B, but spacedtherefrom. The receptacle defines a thin flexible rim 22 and anOPEII-tOP-IESCI'VOlI 2.23,.

The chemical liquid H to be dispensed is contained in the bottle D, andthe latter is adapted to be mounted in an inverted relation in a flushtank J, with the outlet neck 10 of the bottle extending downwardly. Thefloat member E is mounted for up and down movement, in response tochange of the level of the water K disposed 3 within the flush tank.When the valve 19 is removed from the seat 18, a measured quantity ofthe chemical liquid will flow through the opening 16 and this liquidwill be received in the reservoir 23.

It will be noted that the guide stem F has outwardlyextendingprojections 24 thereon, which are positioned to contact with the annularflange 17 of the plunger B to thus limit downward movement of the floatmember E with respect to the stationary plunger B. These projections aredisposed so that the end 25 of the plunger will be retained in thereservoir 23 when the float member descends (see Figure 6). Thisarrangement will determine the liquid level 26 in the reservoir.

The entire float member E may be made from a resilient plastic, such aspolyethylene. This will permit the projections 24 to be inserted throughthe opening 16, when the float member is assembled on the insert A, asin Figures 1, and 6. V

In order to permit the chemical liquid H to flow downwardly through theopening 16, when the float member E descends, the guide stern F haslongitudinallyextending grooves 27 fashioned therein. The grooves startat the outer end of the stem F and terminate at a spaced distance fromthe bottom of the reservoir. As disclosed in Figure 3, the inner ends ofthese grooves have inclined portions 27a so that the liquids will passinto the reservoir 23, rather than remain in the grooves.

For the purpose of guiding the float member E for up and down movement,it has been provided with a plurality of longitudinally-extending ribs28 on its exterior surface, which are disposed to bear against the skirtC when the float member is moved laterally. These ribs add weight to thefloat so that it will descend more readily; and, also, the ribs hold thefloat member in spaced relation with the skirt, thereby assuring spacethrough which the chemical liquid H may flow from the reservoir 23 tothe interior of the flush tank I.

Turning now to Figure 1, it will be apparent that the insert A and floatmember E have been assembled on the bottle D and ready for shipment ormerchandising. Moreover, a closure cap L has been secured to the bottleneck 10, such as by interfitting threads 29. This cap defines an annularinterior shoulder 36, and the flange 12 of the insert A is clampedbetween this shoulder and the rim of the bottle neck 10, providing aliquid-tight seal between the cap and bottle neck, during transportationof the chemical dispenser.

Furthermore, the float member E defines a rim 31 at its opposite endfrom that of the guide stem F. The closure cap L bears against this rimto hold the valve 19 upon its seat 18, until the cap is removed (seeFigure 1). This arrangement further contributes to making the chemicaldispenser leak-proof.

Summary of operation Having thus described the various parts of mychemical dispenser for flush tanks, the operation thereof is summarizedas follows:

Prior to installing the bottle D in the flush tank I, the closure cap Lshould be removed. Thereafter, the bottle is mounted in invertedposition within the flush tank by any suitable means (not shown).Normally, the water K in the tank extends well up around the bottle, asshown in Figure 5. The water will hold the float member E in raisedposition, with the valve 19 bearing against its seat 18.

At this time the guide stem F will project into the interior of thehollow plunger B and will break any sking friction of the liquid surfacein the bottle. Therefore, when the toilet is flushed for the first timeafter the chemical dispenser has been installed, the float member E willdescend and'the stem F will break the skin friction of the liquid H andpermit the latter to flow through the grooves 27 into the reservoir 23.r

The projections 24 come to rest on the annular flange 17 and preventfurther downward movement of the float member E. The lower ends 27a ofthese grooves are inclined so that the liquid in the grooves will nothang up, but will flow readily into the reservoir 23. Before the floatmember will start to raise, due to the refilling of the flush tank withwater, the reservoir 23 will fill with the chemical liquid up to thelower end 25 of the stationary plunger B (see Figure 6). Accordingly,the reservoir will contain a measured quantity of the chemical liquid.

As the water K starts to fill the flushtank J the float member E will beraised, carrying the liquid-receiving receptacle therewith. Thestationary plunger B will gradually displace the chemical liquid fromthe reservoir 23. This liquid will spill over the rim 22 and then flowdownwardly through the skirt C. Finally the liquid will be deflectedoutwardly by a bell-shaped lower section 32 of the float member into theflush tank, as suggested by the arrows 33 in Figure 6.

It Will be noted that as the receptacle G moves upwa'rdly with respectto the stationary plunger B, the guide stern F will move in an upwarddirection in the opening 16 as the tapered inner wall 21 of thisreceptacle nears the outer surface 15 of the plunger B, the grooves 27on the guide stem will move into the opening 16 and will be closed bythe wall of the latter. This prevents any liquid in the reservoir 23from being forced back into the bottle D as the float member continuesto move upwardly. Finally, the valve 19 will come to rest upon its seat18.

The chemical liquid that is forced out of the reservoir 23 will not hangup at the base of the outer wall 20 of the receptacle G, but will flowover a downwardlyextending conical portion 34 of the float member E andpass into the water K in the flush tank. The float member will remain inraised position until the toilet is flushed again, whereupon theoperation will be repeated again.

The skirt C will trap air at its inner top portion 35 when the floatmember E is raised (see Figure 6) and this air lock will prevent thewater K from seeping from the flush tank I into the bottle D; and, also,will prevent the chemical liquid H in the bottle from leaking into thetank water in the event that the dispenser should remain idle andsubmerged in the water for a long period of time.

The projections 24- prevent the float member E from becoming disengagedfrom the insert A. The guide stern F will hold the float member so thatthe latter will move vertically between its two extreme positions(Figures 5 and 6). Also, the ribs 255 will facilitate the up and downmovement of the float member. The projections 24 when resting on theflange 17, cause the float E to hang straight so that its axis willremain vertical. This will prevent the reservoir 23 from tilting andbeing inclined to a point where some liquid will spill therefrom. Infact, if the reservoir were tilted too much, there might be a continualleakage from the bottle D into the reservoir and from the reservoir,into the flush tank I until the bottle was drained of its chemical.

The guide stem F acts as a liquid agitator as it is moved by thevertically movable float E. During the flushing of the toilet, the floatdrops and the stem F will move downwardly in the chemical in the bottleand will agitate it and break any surface tension on the liquid.Chemical will therefore flow from the bottle D to fill the reservoir 23,and air will enter the bottle. As the tank I refills with water, thefloat E will raise and the conical inner wall 21 of the reservoir willcooperate with the conical outer wall 15 of the plunger for forcing thechemical from the reservoir 23, into the tank I, rather than forcing thechemical back into the bottle.

The float E has more of its length received in the insert A when thefloat is in its raised position than is true in my copending case abovementioned. The entire vertical wall of the reservoir 23 and the greaterportion of the vertical cylindrical wall of the float E, disposed belowthe reservoir, are received in the insert A, see Figure 5, when thefloat is raised. This increased vertical wall length prevents water inthe tank J from entering the reservoir 23 and the bottle D even when thedispensing device and bottle are submerged in the water K in the tank.The air trapped at the top of the insert in Figure 5, will also preventwater entering the bottle and diffusing with the chemical therein.

The dispenser has been designed so that it can be attached to a bottlefilled with the chemical, and the package shipped while the bottleremains in its filled state. In many liquid dispensers, the liquidcannot be added before the device is shipped. The triple liquid seal inmy device permits the bottle to be shipped, filled with the chemical.The cap L when screwed onto the threaded neck of the bottle, acts as thefirst liquid seal. The second liquid seal is the flange 12 of the insertA, that is held down by the shoulder 30 in the cap. The third liquidseal is the cap L, pressing on the rim 31, of the float E for forcingthe valve 19 on the stem F, against the valve seat 18.

I claim:

1. In a liquid dispensing apparatus, a container having a neck definingan outlet opening, a stationary member secured in the neck of thecontainer and having means defining a discharge opening communicatingwith the outlet opening in the container, said stationary memberincluding a skirt-like portion disposed within the neck of the containerand which extends a substantial distance below the discharge opening, amovable member, said movable member being formed to provide a reservoirwith an open top, said means defining a discharge opening extending intosaid reservoir, and cooperating means on said stationary and movablemembers serving to limit the lowermost position of said movable memberso that the top of the reservoir is never below said discharge opening.

2. A liquid dispensing apparatus as in claim 1 wherein a substantialportion of said movable member is disposed within the skirt-like portionof the stationary member and has a configuration which loosely interfitswith said skirt-like portion to generally guide movement of said movablemember.

3. A liquid dispensing apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said movablemember is provided with longitudinally extending ribs which are adaptedto engage the skirt-like portion of the stationary member and serve toguide the movement of the movable member.

4. In a liquid dispensing apparatus, a container having an outletopening, a stationary member secured to the container and having meansdefining a discharge opening communicating with the outlet opening ofthe container, said stationary member having a skirt-like portion whichextends a substantial distance below the discharge opening, a movablemember, said movable member being formed to provide a reservoir with anopen top and a centrally disposed guide stem located in the reservoir,said guide stem extending into said discharge opening and said meansdefining the discharge opening extending into said reservoir, andcooperative means on said guide stem and on said means defining thedischarge opening serving to limit the lowermost position of the movablemember so that the top of the reservoir is never below said dischargeopening.

5. A liquid dispensing apparatus as in claim 4 wherein a substantialportion of said movable member is disposed within the skirt-like portionand has a configuration which loosely interfits with said skirt-likeportion to generally guide the movement of said movable member.

6. A liquid dispensing apparatus as in claim 5 in which the container isprovided with a neck which defines the outlet opening and in which thestationary member is disposed within the neck.

7. In a liquid dispensing apparatus of the type adapted for use with acontainer having a neck defining an outlet opening and a closure capremovably secured thereto, a stationary member adapted to be mounted inthe neck and having means defining a discharge opening communicatingwith the outlet opening in the neck, a movable member, said movablemember being formed to provide a reservoir, said means defining thedischarge opening extending into said reservoir, cooperative meanscarried by the stationary member and the movable member to limit themovement of the movable member with respect to the stationary member,and sealing means carried by the stationary and movable members, theremovable closure cap secured to the neck of the container being adaptedto enclose said stationary and movable members and being adapted to urgesaid movable member into engagement with said stationary member so thatsaid sealing means is made operative to establish a substantiallyliquid-tight seal between the stationary and movable members.

8. In a liquid dispensing apparatus of the type adapted for use with acontainer having a neck defining an outlet opening and removable closurecap secured thereto, a stationary member adapted to be mounted withinthe neck and ha ing means defining a discharge opening communicatingwith the outlet opening in the neck, said means being formed to providean annular valve seat on the outer surface thereof adjacent thedischarge opening, and a movable member, said movable member beingformed to provide a reservoir and a centrally disposed guide stemlocated in the reservoir, said guide stem extending into the dischargeopening and said means defining the discharge opening extending intosaid reservoir, said movable member also being formed to provide anannular valve surface adjacent the base of said stem, the removableclosure cap secured to the neck of the container being adapted toenclose said stationary and movable members, the movable member beingadapted to be engaged by the closure cap and being urged so that thevalve surface on the movable memberengages the valve seat on thestationary member to provide a liquid-tight seal therebetween.

9. A liquid dispensing apparatus as in claim 8 wherein said stationarymember is formed with a flange which rests upon the rim of the neck ofthe container and wherein the cap is adapted to engage the flange toprovide an additional liquid-tight seal.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,107,393 Williams Aug. 18, 1914

